Paul Pogba’s agent denied on Thursday a potential world record transfer sending the France star to Manchester United from Juventus had been finalised as Jose Mourinho looks to reinforce the Premier League giants.
United have reportedly had an £86 million offer ($113 million, 102 million euros) turned down by the Italian champions as they try to lure France international Pogba back to Old Trafford four years after allowing him to leave on a free transfer.
But Mourinho’s side are expected to return with an improved bid that approaches Juventus’s £100 million asking price after United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward met Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola to thrash out personal terms this week.
However, Raiola took to Twitter to insist the deal, which would easily shatter the previous world record fee of £85 million paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in 2013, was not concluded yet.
“There’s no deal done regarding Paul Pogba, lots of bla, bla, bla,” Raiola tweeted on his verified account.
Mourinho, whose side are on a pre-season tour to China, admitted the club needed one more signing before the season starts but would not confirm whether it would be 23-year-old Pogba.
“I don’t confirm and I don’t deny. I cannot tell you,” Mourinho responded, after he was asked directly at a news conference in Shanghai whether he could confirm the reports.
“I don’t think it’s correct to speak about players of other clubs, and he’s a Juventus player and not a Manchester United player.
“The only thing I can tell you is that my board, my directors they did fantastic work to do 75 percent of the job I asked them to do,” said Mourinho.
“I asked them for four players. To be more accurate I asked them for four or five players I need.
“I gave them a few options and they did for me 75 percent of the job with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Henrikh) Mikitharyan and (Eric) Bailly and they have just 25 percent to do until the 31st of August.”
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